Carbon black furnace and process for making carbon black



J. C. KREJCI June 9, 1953 CARB0N BLACK FURNACE AND PROCESS FOR MAKING CARBON BLACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1.950

REACTA NT WATE R OIL TANK TANK- FUEL OIL TANK GAS AND SOLIDS BLACK N O B R A C INVENTOR. J. C. KREJCI mwfw June 9, 1953 J. c. KREJCI 2,641,534

CARBON BLACK FURNACE AND PROCESS FOR MAKING CARBON BLACK Filed Dec. 14, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4| A lllllll \J. C- A /l\ FIG. 4.

ATTORNEYS June 9, 1953 J. c. KREJC] 2,641,534

I CARBON BLACK FURNACE AND PROCESS FOR MAKING CARBON BLACK Filed Dec. 14, 1950. s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORl J- C. K REJC I U i/019. I }BY2::

ATTO/PNE VS Patented June 9, 1953 CARBON BLACK FURNACE AND PROCESS I FOR MAKING CARBON BLACK Joseph C. Krejci, Phillips, Tex., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application December 14, 1950, Serial No. 200,816

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to processes and furnaces used in the manufacture of carbon black. In another aspect it relates to a liquid fuel burner fOr supplying the heat of reaction to processes and furnaces for manufacturing carbon black.

In my copending application Seria1 No. 743,893, filed April 25, 1947, now U. S. Patent No. 2,564,700 dated August 21, 1951, I described a process of making carbon black and apparatus for carrying out the same in which application the fourth from the last paragraph of the specification discloses that hydrocarbon may be used as a spray or vapor as the peripheral heating fuel in the process in the peripheral burners of said application. The present application is an improved burner for use in burning the peripheral liquid fuel in the same and in similar processes and furnaces as those of said copending application,

, and while commercially valuable results have been obtained with said peripheral burners 20, 22, 26, 15, p, and 32 in Figures 1, 2, 3,. and 4 of said copending application by burning hydrocarbon oils as a spray or vapor therein, the present burner of the present application gives improved results.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved carbon black furnace.

Another object is to provide an improved oil burner for a carbon black furnace.

Another object is to provide an improved process of making carbon black.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be. apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a carbon black producing furnace and auxiliary equipment for the same, embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the furnace shown in Figure 1, taken onthe vertical plane that contains the longitudinal axis of the furnace.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2 taken along line 3-3 looking in the direction indicated, except for a small portion in the lower left corner, which is partly in elevation.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 3 with the dimensions A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H indicated thereon.

- oil tank .Figure 5 is a cross-section view of Figure 4 vtank I2.

from a separate source, or unheated, in which Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an oil burner nozzle, preferable in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a portion ofscreen therein being shown in elevation, Figure 6 being taken along the line 6-6 in Figure 7 looking in the direction indicated. r

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 6 taken along the line 1-1 looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the theory of operation of one form of the invention.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a modified form of the invention.

In Figure 1 a. carbon black furnace generally designated as H is specifically adapted to make carbon black out of reactant carbonaceous materials preferably such as a gas oil in reactant l2. The reactant hydrocarbon I2 is preferably pumped by pump l3 through line [4 including vaporizer Hiin which the reactant oil is preferably vaporized. The flow of vaporized oil passes through line 1! controlled by valve [8 to a hydrocarbon injector l9 disposed to discharge a stream 'of. hydrocarbons predominantly axially into a chamber 51 of said furnace II. In order to heat this axially moving hydrocarbon so as to convert the same to carbon black by pyrochemical reactions similar to cracking the reactant fuel [2 is heated in furnace I I by liquid fuel 2 I. Liquid fuel 2| may be the same material as the gas oil from tank I2 but need not necessarily be of such high grade, and may be any liquid. fuel, such as cheaper grades of fuel oil.

While carbon black can be made with any carbonaceous liquid material as the reactant material in tank l2, it is preferable to use a gas oil derived from a cracking process which has an API gravity of 16 to 25 degrees and an end point of 600 to 800 F.

The fuel from tank 2! maybe pumped by pump 22 through line 23 controlled by valve 24 to heat thevaporizer. l6, while some of this fuel may be pumpedthrough line 26 controlled by valve 2! into an oil burner generally designated as 28, wherein it is vaporized, and/or burned, to provide heat for the pyrochemical cracking type of reaction in chambers 51 and 58, which forms carbon'black out of the reactant material I2 from Vaporizer l6 however could be heated case it is not a vaporizer and the oil is merely sprayed into chamber 51 from pipe H], which can be provided in that instance with an oil spray nozzle 63 shown in detail in Figure 6.

In order to provide proper heat for the reother synthesized chemicals, to use oxygen or* mixtures of oxygen and other gases excluding nitrogen, in place of air in pipe 29;v

Generally very little air, or oxygen-containing gas, is added through line. 33;;thesole. purpose of this line being to reduce: carbon: dGPQSltSzOIl.

hydrocarbon injector l9 (if necessary) by discharging a small annular streamfrom surround-.- ing pipe 4|. Thissmall supply of oxygen con- In Figure 1 it will be noted that the carbon black furnace Ii comprises a round furnace chamber 51 (see Figure 2), a hydrocarbon injector l9 disposed to discharge a stream of hydrocarbons predominately axially into said chamber. An oil burner generally designated as 28 is disposed to discharge hot gases into, said chamber'fil'. A- cross-section.ofFigure 2 is. shown in Figure 3.

Said oil burner 28 comprises a round body 6| with an open outlet 62 communicating with said chamber; 51 with the longitudinal axis of said body'disposed predominantly tangent to the ad- -J'acent-.inner wall, of said chamber 5?. Said oil burner; comprisesran oil spray injector generally designated as 631on oil supply pipe 26 is held in the center of body Bl by means of suitable taining gas may be cut off by closing valvefiii without interrupting the process in many instances permanently or. at, least over long periods of time. By oxygen containing gas is meant a gas containing oxygen in a free or a combinable form under thev conditions of the reaction in furnace H. H The reactant material I2 is exposed to the heating effect of liquid fuel burner 28 inv furnace H and is cracked to form carbon black which passes into the cooler. 42 in the form of smoke. In order to stop the reaction with a maximum amountof unconsumed carbon black, it'is desirable to quench. this smoke below 1200 to 1600 F. in cooler 42, which may be done by one or more cooling methods, preferably by any one, two or all of three methods. as will be explained. Preferably water from. tank 43 is pumped by pump 44 through-pipe. 46. into pipes 4! and 48. controlled-by valves 49 and. 5|; The smoke that passes through pipe 42 passes in indirectv heat exchange withthe water passing through. water.- cooling passage in cooler 42, which water emerges in a heated condition from pipe. 52.. The water that passes through pipe 41 is sprayed through a spray head 53. directly into the smoke inside the cooler in direct evaporative heat exchange.

This water turns into vapor and may be, removed as a gas along with the other gas in pipe 39.

There is also a certain amount of atmospheric cooling by indirect heat exchange with the air through the smoke pipe 54. and in any type of gas and solids. separation system. generally designated, as 56, as is known to the prior art. The cooling system 42 may employ solely direct water quench 53,, solely indirect water cooling 48, 52, or solely atmospheric cooling. 54, or any combination thereof, although it is difiicult'to avoid having at least some atmospheric cooling at 54 or 56 in any system. In all events before gases in 39 or carbon black from 56 are exposed to the atmosphere they should be below the temperature at which they will rapidly combine with oxygen.

The gas. and solids separator may comprise the usual types of bag filters, electrical precipitators, cyclone separators or the like, or any combination of the same known to the prior art. The interior. of furnace H is shown in Figure 2, and While it is'preferred to use a furnace having an enlarged cylindrical portion 51 of greater diameter than length connected axially to a smaller diameter cylindrical portion 58 of greater length than diameter, valuable commercial results can be obtained in a furnace having a single cylindrical chamber 59 of uniform diameter as shownin Figure, 8.

braces'fi i" if necessary. Oil spray injector 63 is disposed to discharge an oil spray of liquid fuel 2| predominately axially into said body 61, and an. airinjector 3.4. is. disposed communicating with saidv body &I to discharge. air, intos'aid body predominantly tangent to the. adjacent inner. wall. of body 61.. If desired a plurality of oil burners 28 may be employedand they may have a plurality of air supply pipes 34 and..35. Such duplications ofparts are preferable because they have, some advantages in stabilizing the conditions of operation of the furnace, but

are not necessary. to achieve some degree of commercial. success. 7

As shown in Figure 4, body 6| preferably has an. enlarged portion 66, for receiving the air pipes 38, although a single. diameter for pipes 6| maybe used as shown by corresponding pipe 67 in. Figure 8.

Pipe 5! is preferably beveled inwardly at 63 around its outlet endfl62,. althoughvaluable results. may be obtained without such a. bevel.

Pipe 6| may be retained in the. wall of furnace; Ill by any suitable means,'and, the materials of construction ofv furnace H and burner 28 are not critical. lined with refractory material 69.

As shown, furnace H m preferably To save expense some of the material em burner 28 thereto by'means of the flange connection generally designated as 13.

Oil spray 53 is mounted on the end of oil,

supply pipe. 26 and inorder' to adjusttheposition of the same a stufiing box M may beprojvided having a fiber-Washer 76 and pipe Zfimay be held in adjusted position by flange H welded thereto and held in position by nuts 18 on stud I9 1 mounted on the exterior of chamber 66. While any type of spray head may be employed as head 53., in Figure 6 is shown the preferred form of head, which head is not inventedby me although it forms. one preferred element of the combination invented by me. external. threads 8| for engaging with. internal threads in the end of pipe 26, or other connection means may be used. Valve seat 82 is preferably removably, secured in the head 63 and flow of fuel therethrough is controlled by springclosed check valve 83. The spring retainer 84 is also preferably removable for cleaning out the head 53 and contains openings 86 for the passage of fuel therethrough, which may be screened by surrounding cylindrical wire screen 81 in or- When metal.

Head 53' has the small diameter feed passage 96 where it might bridge across and close the same. Passage 86 leads to an annular groove 88 to increase the area of screen 81.

Bolt 84 is retaining flanged sleeve nipple 99 in place in opening 9| of body 63, while plate 92 and spherical surface 93 allow for minor movement and self-adjustment of sleeve 89 in" head 63 to minimize leakage therebetween. Nipple 89 has a central passage 94 connecting with tangential passages 96, as clearly shown in Figure 7.

In Figure 4 there are given preferable dimensions for the burner 28. These dimensions are such that best results are obtained when:

directions in respect to furnace chamber 59A than 1 in Figure 8 which results in a different degree of turbulence in the gases in the furnace.

6 EXAMPLE A Operating with a gas (oil feed within the range set forth above, and operating a furnace of the type shown in Figures 1 and '7 with the direction ofv injection as shownin Figure 8, except that the oil spray-63 rotated clockwise, a very satisfactory carbon black was produced which imparted high.

. resistance to abrasion in rubber samples made from a standard GR-S tread rubber. These car- 9 bon'blacks listed in runs 1 to 4 were made respecti vely with oil rates of 200, 193,- 180 and 168 gallons per hour in said reactor while employing fuel oil as shown in the burners'28 (see'Table I below) The basic rubber recipe employed in the evaluation was as follows;

Standard GR S tread rubber (X452) 100 Black 40 Zinc oxide (#2) 3.0

BRT #7 (#1) 6.0

Sulfur (#1) 1.75 Santocure (#1) 0.80

The stocks were cured at 307 F. for 10, 20, 30, and minutes intervals and the physical 25 properties were determined on both original and aged vulcanizates.

Flange 13 in Figure 4 was positioned so that there was 13 inches of 8 inch diameter tunnel 69 between the end 62 of the burner tube 68 and the 30 chamber 51 of Figure3, and check valve 83 and spring (no numeral) of Figure 6 was omitted. While check valve 83 is of value it obviously is not at all essential.

The force of air I62 entering housing 61 through pipe 34 was so great as to overcome the.

clockwise force of the oil 63A, which preferably has less force than the air.

TABLE If Summary of physical properties (30 minute cure) Photom- Axial eter, Percent 200 F,- Percent Run No. Oil Rate, Tint Percent Grit, 325 3007 Per Ht Tens le, AT, F. Perma- G. P. H. Trans- M5511 0 Tensile, p. s. i. nent Set mission Modulus, S i Elongap.s.i. V tion OVEN AGED 24 HOURS AT212 F.

2,200 3,190 400 57.1 0.3 2, 3, 090 400 58. 1 0. 8 2,120 3,150E 450E 57. 5 0. s 2, 3,120 400' 57. 5 0. 8

EXtl'llSiOllfit250" F.

Percent Percent Shore Flex Abrasmn Com- Cpd Run ff g' Life, M E2? Loss b pression MS 1% G e c 8 Set 1 In./Min. 3 1 'Rating OVEN AGED 24 HOURS AT 212 F I 45 minute cure. b 35 minute cure.

Flea; life, Shore hardness, abrasion loss: I

TABLE II stfess strami propertzesr at 80 F.

, Minutes. fit- Percent; Run N0, -Cur e at Elonga- 307 100% 200% 500% 400%; 500% Break e 45 250 680 1, 410 2, 270 3, 160 3, 430 530 75 220 630 1, 320 2, 190v 3, 110 3, 340 525 10 180 310 500 1,000 1,440 1, 900 010 I I I 20 200 510 1,080 1, 790 2,570 2, 090 555 2,614.15... 30- 230 630 1,320 2,190 3,070 3,270' 510 45 250. 050. 1,320 2,120 3,000 3,210. 505 75 240 640 1, 350 2, 150 2, 990 3, 300 510. 10 150: 300. 500 050,. 1,180 2,100 550 20 220 540 1, 160 1, 800 2, 580 3, 210 590 so. 2207 000' 1,240. 2,020; 2,020 3,330 535 45 200 570 1,410 2,210 3,180 a, 470 525 75' 240' 640' 1,300 2,110 3,000 3,290 530 10 I 130 V 270 520 860 1,280". 2,000 690 20 200 400 1,020 1,700. 2,430. 5, 100 500 i 4 30 220 000 1, 240 2,020 2, 000 3,130 520 TABLE III [Flex life at 210 F., 3" stroke, 500 fiexurcs'per'minute; Shore hardnessType'A durometer; abrasion loss-l 1. wheel angle, 331b. load, rotated on mounts every'375 revolutions for 3,000 revolutions] Ab OvemAged 24 Hrs. 211 F. Minutes" 7 'Shore' fi I Flex Life sion RunN o t; H d- 551 1? 2 5225 3 5 5 Flex Life, 3 ,33 5333 3 7 V M ness Gms 30 55 5.7LD3 01 4 45 55.5 3;56-' '4;2LD.4 4.14

e 35 cureitime. OPERATION sprayed liquid hydrocarbon. I01 and forms a 8 be material 19 moves as shown by the arrow I v i form a g 2200200 0202: 1 501056222201: portion of urnace 59. Air 4 enters in: he irection of arrow 1.02 into; body 6:1 where-it ro- 50 g i g g gi ggg 2 g i gg g 3 in the drectio? i i the a inount of turbulence inthe furnace The 0 spray coming on 0 ea emerges in e direction of the two arrows shown tangent th'erfig gfizg g fi g gs g g gf fig gg i gg g zgi to and reinforces the rotary movement in t e direction I03 because oil spray injector 63 is dis.-. g 2 g l i l t that charging the oil with a substantial rotational ig- 23? 9 3 gifi gt' sfi a component of motion in the same direction as a g $3 i the rotation of the air :03. Note that the di 7 theydegree of turbul-ence p Y 92? qi izfs g 5 2:; f ai fi i E2: on the other hand turbulence can be decreased 3 discha: hot asess with 60. t0 some'degree by reversing the direction of ing g troduction'of oil spray from head 63A to the distantial rotational component of motion in such rection of introduction "13A in Figure-9 It direction. thatthe portion of saidrotatinghot knot believed, necessary to have four fig'ures gases that c9ntacts Saiid pretdommantly axlal: of drawing as it should be obvious that both distream of hyurocarbon 15 moving predominately 65 rections of. rotation, shown by 63 or 63A can be in. the opposite direction to said axial stream, usedin either Figure Whlch causes an'mcrease P tm'Pulence Increased turbulence results in more rapid the furnace and improved m lXlDg Wh results burning of the hydrocarbon with the result that a j m more remforcmg to less carbon black is made but the carbon black wlth whlch 115 S C I Cylinder 13 has better reinforcing properties in rubber, more bro n p and mlngl'es Wlth 0116116116811 layer 97 resistance to abrasion.v It is desired to claim y soon and the whole m s ates together both the preferred directions of rotation and with considerable tu bulence. those which give different results, it being be- When so operating, the heat pyrolyzes 0r lieved that generic claims are allowable. cracks the vaporous or in some instances finely While a numberof specific embodiments of 9 the invention have been shown and described for the purpose of illustrating the same, obviously the invention is not limited thereto, and is as set forth in the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A carbon black furnace comprising in combination a first cylindrical chamber of greater diameter than length and a second cylindrical coaxial chamber of lesser diameter communicating therewith, said second chamber being of greater length than diameter, a hydrocarbon injector disposed to discharge a stream of hydrocarbons predominately axially into said first chamber, and an oil burner disposed to discharge hot gases into said first chamber, said oil burner comprising a body comprising a first cylindrical pipe of greater diameter than length and a second cylindrical pipe of lesser diameter communicating therewith, said second pipe being of greater length than diameter and having an open outlet end communicating with said first chamber with the longitudinal axis of said second pipe disposed predominately tangent to the adjacent inner wall of said first chamber, an oil spray injector disposed to discharge oil spray predominately axially into said second pipe, and an air injector comprising a third pipe having an outlet communicating with said first pipe and disposed to discharge air into said first pipe predominately tangent to the adjacent inner wall of said first pipe.

2. A carbon black furnace comprising in communicating therewith, said second pipe being of greater length than diameter and having an open outlet end communicating with said first first pipe predominately tangent to the adjacent inner vrall of said first pipe.

3. The process of making carbon black comprising the steps of passing a vaporous column of hydrocarbon axially through a heating zone, producing, heating and imparting a rotary motion to gases to produce a rotating column of hot gases with a higher pressure than exists in said zone, and introducing said rotating column of hot gases into said zone substantially tangent to the exterior surface of said axial column with the direction of said rotation of said hot gases in such direction that that portion of said rotating hot gases that contacts said axial column is moving predominately in the same direction as said axial stream.

4. The'process of making carbon black comprising the steps of passing said vaporous column of hydrocarbon axially through a heating zone, producing, heating and imparting a rotary motion to gases to produce a rotating column of hot gases with a higher pressure than exists in said zone, and introducing a rotating column of hot gases into said zone'substantially tangent to the exterior surface of said axial column with the directionof said rotation of said hot gases in such direction that that portion of said rotating hot gases that contacts said axial column is moving predominately in the opposite direction to said axial stream.

JOSEPH C. KREJCI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- -Name Date Scott Jan. 17, 1928 Finnigan Sept. 10, 1940 Smoot Sept. 24, 1940 Krejci Apr. 29, 1947 Number 

2. A CARBON BLACK FURNACE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FIRST CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN LENGTH AND A SECOND CYCLINDRICAL COAXIAL CHAMBER OF LESSER DIAMETER COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, SAID SECOND CHAMBER BEING OF GREATER LENGTH THAN DIAMETER, A HYDROCARBON INJECTOR DISPOSED TO DISCHARGE A STREAM OF HYDROCARBONS PREDOMINATELY AXIALLY INTO SAID FIRST CHAMBER, AND A FUEL BURNER DISPOSED OF DISCHARGE HOT GASES INTO SAID FIRST CHAMBER, SAID FUEL BURNER COMPRISING A BODY COMPRISING A FIRST CYLINDRICAL PIPE OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN LENGTH AND A SECOND CYLINDRICAL PIPE OF LESSER DIAMETER COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, SAID SECOND PIPE BEING OF GREATER LENGTH THAN DIAMETER AND HAVING AN OPEN OUTLET END COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST CHAMBER WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SECOND PIPE DISPOSED PREDOMINATELY TANGENT TO THE 